ChangeUP Tonic

Gbenga OwotokiMonday, September 28, 2015
[email protected]
Florida, USA

ANNOUNCE THIS ARTICLE
TO YOUR FRIENDS

WHERE IS THE FIRE?

advertisement

here is the fire? That is the question that is begging for an answer. The words of C.H. Sturgeon rings true today: "A time will come when instead of Shepherds feeding the sheep, the church will have clowns entertaining the goats."

Having been a student of past revival that ignited the world in the past centuries and decades, my heart pant for such great visitation of the Lord in our world today. I have studied the life and times of Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola one of the progenitors of the early revival fire that swept through Nigeria in the 30's & 40's. My God! This man was on fire for God. There was not so much noise and razzmatazz. With his bell in his hand and a mismatched 'babariga' and 'sokoto' and a pair of sandal standing on a make-shift pulpit, this anointed servant of God strode through this world like a blazing comet.

He did not need to scream and shout yet he was anointed to the teeth.

His simplicity and humility is simply enchanting. He was a terror to the kingdom of hell.

He put many herbalist out of business and expelled demons who had the forest as their place of domain.

Times without number they will bring the dead to his meetings and lay them right in front of the alter where he ministered and without getting distracted from his message, the dead will get up and walk from where they have been kept.

He was a man who turned the mountains to his Prayer gym and on one occasion, it was said while he was praying, a snake crawled over him and he never cared only to get up after prayers to discover the snake lying dead by his side.

His life is a reprimand to many of us. God is seeking for men who He can invest His unction to trigger another flame of revival in this depraved world.

Thank God for the world in which we live in and praise Him for the advancement of technology but this will never take the place of prayer and the Holy Spirit. And to paraphrase the words of Leonard Ravenhill 'These days we have so many organizers but few agonizers. So many speakers but few prayers. If we fail in this, we fail in all.'

The realities of the present day church is quite disheartening. There has been the dearth of true disciples. There is an urgent need to refocus our priorities. Raising men with a deeper relationship with Jesus should be our goal. Enough of the gospel that only excites our emotions and lack the power to transform hearts and draw men to Jesus.

Doesn't it break your heart that we pack our auditoriums and sanctuaries full every week and yet evil and sin is still on the increase in our communities and cities. The people who come to these places of worship are the same people who perpetrate evil and wickedness out there. Does it mean the gospel has lost the power to transform lives? The answer is a definite No.

What did the saints of old do differently that we are not doing now. The difference is as night and day. This is a wake-up call. We need to go back to our first love. I pray that the Lord will count on us as we release ourselves unto Him and as said by John Wesley "Set me on fire Lord and cause the world to come watch me burn." Make this your prayer too. The world is waiting. We cannot continue like this, we must go back to that path of righteousness. God can use you as an instrument for these purpose if you are ready to pay the price. God bless you big.

advertisement
IMAGES IN THE NEWS